Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

On an African safari

A survival guide to help you get the most out of your trip.

After the vacation of a lifetime, we want to pass along some suggestions to help with a future safari experience of your own.

Being close to the equator in Africa, you will want to wear a hat. Other than that, think about minimizing the tempting "outfitter" garb like a safari jacket with 42 unnecessary pockets, give or take a few dozen. Note that your guide will probably be wearing a neat short-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. And he's on safari all the time.

We managed to see everything we had dreamed of and more in six days. Indeed, within minutes of entering the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, we witnessed a family of lions digesting its breakfast - a wildebeest that had been cut from several thousand in the migrating herd. Interestingly, we learned that the wildebeest allow much smarter zebras, often acting as the locomotive and caboose of each herd, to lead the migration.

Over the next few days, we saw the Big Five: lion, elephant, water buffalo, leopard and black rhino (the last at a safe distance of a half kilometre). We would come within metres of creatures going about their daily routines: elegant loping giraffes, bathing hippos, curious baboons and shy warthogs - and a group of ravenous hyenas feasting on some garbage that had inadvertently been left out overnight behind our camp site.

For Terry, the high point of the trip occurred when he was closely followed by something along the path to our tent from the outdoor shower, where he says the water was very cold. It was only when he reached our tent and turned around that he realized the "something" was an elephant.

So for those who are able to manage it, we would recommend collegial camping out in the African night rather than staying at some fancy isolated resort.

If you ask, your guide will take you to visit a Masai tribe's manyatta, a group of huts made of - yes - cow dung. Tall and agile in their distinctive red outfits and fabulously coloured accessories, the Masai, or "the people of cattle," are found throughout Tanzania and Kenya. They have lived their nomadic existence on the East African savannah grasslands for centuries. Members of the tribe will perform a short ritual dance, providing that some respectful small contribution has been made on behalf of you or your group. Furthermore, trinkets are always available as in any tourist domain. But be forewarned: the distinctive red robes for sale are actually made in China.

Plan your trip carefully well in advance. It is possible to fly into Kenya or Tanzania on the spur of the moment and choose among hundreds of safari tour operators. But you run the risk of not receiving the quality that you should be getting for your money.

Better to research the tour companies that offer safaris of one sort or another in east Africa. The Internet is filled with possibilities. Go to www.AlulaAfrica.com for an idea of what is available, then move on from there.

After recommendations from Canadian acquaintances, we settled on a small but reliable outfit called Safari Images (www.safari-images.com) that operates out of Moshi, in northern Tanzania near the border with Kenya. Everything was provided, leaving us with little to do but enjoy the sights and sounds of the Serengeti, the Oldupai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.

We were picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport, near Moshi, and, being fortunate enough to be alone on this particular tour, received the full attention of our experienced driver, Nico Kessy, and our excellent cook, William Michael. The tour came in at a surprisingly reasonable $1,145 U.S. each (plus a generous tip) for six days of sightseeing and five nights of camping. Furthermore, at the end of the tour, we were driven directly to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the starting point for the rest of our vacation.